Q: Our house is a four square, kind of arts and craftsy, and we are going to put in some built-in shelves and cabinets. [DC craftsman] Ted Ferris…has given us a couple of options. One is a traditional option in white lacquer with recessed paneled cabinet doors. The second option is in maple with flat front cabinets and much more modern in design. Our crown molding and plantation shutters in the room are a dark, Jacobean-like stain. Which built-in design do you think is the better option? I like the idea of the contemporary/modern design but wonder if it won’t be too far a departure from the more arts and craftsy look of the room.
A: Before I address your question, I have to get something off my chest: good cabinetry makes me weak in the knees. Have you ever seen anything more gorgeous than these maple cabinets above? Precision, precision. Sigh. I stole these pictures from Ted Ferris’ website (and in the spirit of full disclosure, I haven’t worked with Ted, but I’ve met him through mutual friends).
Now, since I haven’t seen your house, here are MY questions back atcha:
1. Will these shelves be very prominent – will they be installed on multiple walls of a room?
If the answer is YES, the I’d say you could go with the modern, because they’ll have a strong presence in the context of your traditional architecture. In other words, they’ll hold their own. If this room is a library and you plan to cover all of the walls with cabinetry, I think the modern would be stunning.
2. How long do you plan to stay in the house?
If the answer is 5 years or fewer, I would advise you to go with the traditional style, because it may appeal to more potential buyers. They would still be gorgeous – especially if you paint the back a contrasting color, as Ted did in the top picture, and as a client ofmine did a few years ago (at right, before on top, after below).
I’m glad you mentioned the dark crown moulding and shutters – that also pushes me in the direction of traditional painted cabinetry. It’s hard to explain why, but I think that two woods (dark moulding, maple cabinetry) AND two contrasting styles in one room might be a bit much. If you were willing to paint your dark moulding and shutters, then the natural modern shelves would be back in the running.
(You might be interested to read some of my earlier posts about shelves: one about some modern shelves from Holly Hunt and another about built-in vs. freestanding shelves.)